Cancer diagnoses in the UK have reached a record high, with more than 403,000 people diagnosed each year, according to a new report from Cancer Research UK. This equates to around 1,100 people every day – one person every 80 seconds. Experts warn that many cancers present with vague or silent symptoms that can be easily overlooked, making early detection more challenging.
Dr Mieke Van Hemelrijck, professor of cancer epidemiology at King’s College London, explains that symptoms such as ongoing fatigue or unexplained weight loss are often mistaken for ageing or everyday life. She highlights the role of rapid diagnostic centres (RDCs) in investigating non-specific symptoms. Only 7 per cent of referrals to her clinic turn out to be cancer, but for those cases, early detection is vital.
Dr Philip Borg, a consultant interventional radiologist at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, notes that cancer can develop over ten years or more before symptoms appear. He stresses the importance of reporting early or non-specific symptoms, as cancers can sometimes be discovered incidentally during scans for other conditions. Dr Jason Chow, a consultant oncologist at Bupa’s Cromwell Hospital, adds that cancers in internal organs – such as the ovaries, lungs, or pancreas – are harder to detect because they may not present with lumps.
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including bowel cancer, are among the most insidious. For bowel cancer, 90 per cent of patients survive five years or more if diagnosed early, but this drops to one in ten in later stages. Symptoms to watch for include unexplained weight loss, persistent abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, difficulty swallowing, and jaundice. While most cases of these symptoms are not cancer, experts advise seeing a GP if they persist or worsen.
